What is your favorite ride? It's carnival time. Come out and enjoy the fun!

Ten-year-old Mitchell Mardiros and his sister Millie Mardiros, 8, cannot wait for the annual Knights of Columbus Carnival next month, a family-oriented festival of rides, carny food and midway games that's been an Annapolis tradition for four decades.

Their father Marty Mardiros let them go on the big kid rides at the carnival last August for the very first time.

"I like the Zipper, because it's fast and fun," said Mitchell.

Millie liked the Zipper, too.

"Because it's scary and you can go upside down," she yelled.

What about the Tilt-A-Whirl, Millie?

"Wheeeeeeeee!" was her response.

Marty is the carnival's chairman. He's been involved with the annual carnival off and on since 2001 when the late Ray Sears first recruited him to corral volunteers.

File photo by Paul W. Gillespie, Staff

Dylan Walk takes a big windup as his mother Penny Walk watches him try to knocking over bottles and win a stuffed animal prize at the Deale Volunteer Fire Department's carnival.

There are hundreds of details involved in organizing and running the 10-day event from crunching out the financial nuances to corralling enough Boy Scouts and other volunteers to help at the Knights-run booths.

Yet, Marty finds a few moments, here and there, to kick back and enjoy his nights as a carnival Knight.

"What I enjoy most is seeing my children's eyes — and the eyes of other children — light up when they see a ride, anticipate a ride, are on a ride," he said.

Marty and his family loves the rides — and the carnival food, too. "My kids love the funnel cakes," he said. "I like the sausage and peppers. It's a food I eat at carnivals and ballparks. It's a sensory memory."

Growing up in Livonia, Mich., his town had an annual "Spree!" festival that brought the community together.

"Like the 'Spree!' I want to see the community come out and enjoy the carnival," he said. "It's the Knights of Columbus' biggest fundraiser, but it's also something we do for the community."

Earleigh Heights carnival

The first carnival sponsored by the Earleigh Heights Volunteer Fire Company opened 70 years ago. Although the roadside scenery has changed quite a bit since 1945, this carnival has lit up sultry summer nights at the same intersection of Magothy Bridge Road (Earleigh Heights Road) and Ritchie Highway.

It opens July 9 and runs through July 18, from 6 to 11 p.m. every night. (The carnival is closed on Sunday, July 12). There are more than 40 attractions and rides, plus several fun raffles. Ride-all-night wristbands are $25. Midway admission is free.

For details, visit http://www.ehvfc.org/news/index/layoutfile/home.

The real Deale

Sixty-seven years young, the Deale Volunteer Fire Department Carnival is the third oldest in the county. Its colorful midway is by Reithoffer Shows.

The Deale carnival opens July 6, and runs through July 11, from 7 to 10 p.m. nightly. Ride-all-night tickets are $15 if purchased in advance at the fire station's back hall from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 5. The ride tickets are $20 at the gate.

The organizers invite all community groups to sign up to participate in the carnival's parade. The line up begins at 5:30 p.m. July 11 at the circle in Deale, at the intersection of routes 258 and 256. The parade steps off at 6:30 p.m.

Now in its 107th year, the Glen Burnie Improvement Association Carnival holds the title for the oldest in the county.

Held at the GBIA carnival grounds at 19 Crain Highway S. in Glen Burnie, it runs July 31 through Aug. 8. It is closed Sunday, Aug. 2. It is open at 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. most days, except Fridays and Saturdays when closing time is 11 p.m.

Park for free at the county garage adjacent to the carnival grounds.

Admission is free, but tickets are required for the rides. Tickets are $1.25 apiece. Major rides are three tickets, including Street Fighter, Mardi Gras, Bumper Cars, Scrambler, Zipper and Tilt-A-Whirl. Kiddie rides like the merry-go-round, Tea Cups and Moon Bounce are one ticket. Purchase 30 tickets for $33 or 50 tickets for $50.

Monday through Thursday, patrons can ride the rides all night for $20. All-you-can-ride wristbands are sold from 6:30 until 9:30 p.m. Fun times can be yours aboard the Round Up or Ferris Wheel, the Samurai or the UFO, plus there's lots of rides to tickle your kids' funny bone.

If winning a stuffed toy bear isn't exciting enough, a 2015 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck will be raffled. Shine up your lucky penny and plunk down bit of change for your chance at the wheels of chance, the wheels of Toyota, or warm up your pitching arm for games of skill. There's also dime pitch and Bingo.

Fun with The Knights

The 40th annual Annapolis Knights of Columbus Carnival will be held Aug. 13-22. It has been held in the same location for 37 years, overlooking Route 2 south, a half-mile south of the Annapolis Harbour Center. The carnival will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. weeknights, from 6 to 11 p.m. Friday, 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday, and from 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday.

Ride-all-night wristbands are $23 at the ticket booth. Pre-sale tickets are available now for $18 online and can be picked up at the "will call" location each day of the carnival. Each pre-sale ticket can be redeemed for one wristband any day of the carnival at any of the ticket booths.

Island getaway

Cross the Bay Bridge and enjoy a day of fun. It's just a few minutes drive from downtown Annapolis, but well worth the trip.

The Kent Island Volunteer Fire Department's 65th annual carnival is July 26 to Aug. 1, 6 to 10 p.m. weeknights and 6 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It's held on the south parking lot of Kent Island High School.

A spectacular fireworks show will be fired off two evenings at dusk — on Sunday, July 26, and Saturday, Aug. 1, from another area at Kent Island High. Free parking is available at Love Point Park.

Nearly 100 volunteers, from cadets to members of the ladies auxiliary to seasoned firefighters, join together to host the Bingo games, serve the food or spin the cake wheel and award the prizes — homemade cakes. The carnival's rides are operated by Shaw and Sons Amusements.

A ride-all-night wristband is $16 in advance or $23 at the gate. The $16 wristband can be purchased Fridays and Saturdays, July 3-25, from 6 to 10 p.m. at the KIVFD, or during business hours at the Kent Island and Chester locations of the Queenstown and Centreville National Banks. Coupons providing a $3 discount are available at many Kent Island businesses.

A half million visitors

Come for the food and rides, stay to watch the rock stars and gaze upon the starry starry sights of the lit-up rides. The 134th annual Maryland State Fair, which runs from Aug. 28 through Sept. 7 at the state fairgrounds in Timonium, calls itself the "11 Best Days of Summer."

In addition to the rides, live concerts at the Racetrack Infield at 7 p.m. feature R5 and Bea Miller on Sept. 4, Fifth Harmony on Sept. 5. Over 500,000 visitors are attracted to the fair each year to stroll among the hundreds of exhibits and 4-H competitions, view the garden shows and root for their picks during the live thoroughbred horse racing and simulcasting.

Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors age 62 and up, $3 for children ages 6 to 11, and free for children 5 and under — but rides are not included. A ticket is required for all visitors age 3 and older for concerts held in the Racetrack Infield.

Midway rides are individually priced, and tickets can be purchased at the midway ticket booths. Tickets are $1 and rides cost three to six tickets. Discount tickets are 50 for $45. All-you-can ride wristbands for use on rides from noon to 10 p.m. are available at the ticket booths for $23.

The fairground's Kiddie Land, features 17 kid-friendly rides, plus, for the older youth and adults, more than 40 rides and 30 games of skill.

Have a fondness for celebrities? You'll go hog wild for the 12th annual Swifty Swine Racing and Swimming Pig Show, which features celebrity porkers including Justin Bieboar, Christina Hogulera, Kevin Bacon and more. Sorry, no Kim Karporkian! Each show, consisting of three heat races and a performance by Swifty the Swimming Pig, will take place five times daily on the midway near the Farm and Garden Building.

Fun-filled fairs

Seeking more midway fun? You'll find rides, games and more of that carnival fare at county fairs, including:

•The Queen Anne's County Fair from Aug. 10-15 at 4-H Park Fair in Centreville. There are all sorts of rides and contests, including a rodeo, a greased pig contest, and a truck and tractor pull. For information, visit http://queenannescofair.com.

•The Anne Arundel County Fair from Sept. 16-20 at the county fairgrounds, 1450 Crownsville Road in Crownsville. Jolly Shows operates the rides, including the popular Street Fighter. A highly competitive event, now in its second year, is the "Arundel's Got Talent" contest. Admission for age 16 and over, including parking, is $7l ages 6 through 15 is $5; free admission for ages 5 and under. Admission to the fair does not include carnival rides or games. For more details and offers, visit http://www.aacountyfair.org.

Shore good!

Other carnivals of note will be held on the Eastern Shore, including:

•The Hebron Volunteer Fire Department Carnival, now 89 years young, has been running at 200 S. Main St. in Hebron since May 27. Open Wednesdays through Saturdays, its final days are July 3-4, and July 8-11. It opens at 6:30 p.m. each night. Rides start up at 7 p.m. Expect to find lots of family fun, Bingo games and great food including oyster sandwiches, homemade crab cakes, crab balls and shrimpies — plus all your favorite carny food fare. A fireworks display will be held on the Fourth of July. All drawings will be held and prizes awarded on July 11. A $10,000 cash prize will be awarded that night; tickets are one for a $10 donation, or three tickets for a $25 donation. You do not have to be present to win.

♦Midway between Cambridge and Salisbury, the 90th annual Sharptown Volunteer Fire Department Carnival is open nightly at 7 p.m. from July 30 through Aug. 22. It is closed on Sundays. The carnival is a relaxed venue between Annapolis and the ocean resorts. It, too, has a cash giveaway, this one for $12,000. Chances are $5 each or three for $10. Ride all night for $12 most nights, Mondays and Tuesdays for $10. For information, visit http://sharptown.net/ .

♦Call it the Endless Summer Carnival … The Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company's Carnival continues and the remaining dates are July 3-4, July 10-11, July 17-18, July 24-25, and July 27-Aug. 1. The famous annual Pony Penning Week, the 90th, is the week of July 27. The Wild Pony Swim will be held on July 29, and auction day is July 30. The carnival is held 7 to 11 p.m. each day. Admission is free. For information, visit http://cvfc3.com/.

Many of the region's carnivals take place after dark. So use extra caution and drive, bike and walk safely when entering, exiting or passing through areas where a carnival is being held, or where fairgrounds are active.

At twilight or at night, it is difficult to see pedestrians walking across the roads and local highways around a carnival. An excited child might suddenly dart into the roadway. Best advice to motorists: Slow down around carnival sites.

Similarly, if you are crossing a street, do so at a lighted crosswalk. Hold your child's hand. It's a good idea to carry a lit flashlight, or wear a reflective belt or vest, so drivers can see you more easily.

Guide dogs are the only pets allowed on most carnival grounds. Bikes and skateboards are also not permitted.

For a safe evening , leave the alcohol, glass containers, coolers, wheeled carts, backpacks, large bags, and fireworks at home. At some locations, allow extra time for check-in by security at carnival entrances.